Air vent for shipping containers with corrugated sides

ABSTRACT

An air vent configured for shipping containers with corrugated surfaces is disclosed. Embodiments include an air vent comprising: a flat panel having a plurality of louvers for the transfer of air through the flat panel; and at least two mounting flanges integrated with the flat panel, the mounting flanges being angled to conform to an angle of a corrugated surfaces of a shipping container.

PRIORITY PATENT APPLICATION

This non-provisional patent application draws priority from U.S.provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/835,171; filed Apr. 17, 2019.This present non-provisional patent application draws priority from thereferenced patent application. The entire disclosure of the referencedpatent application is considered part of the disclosure of the presentapplication and is hereby incorporated by reference herein in itsentirety.

COPYRIGHT

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains materialthat is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has noobjection to the facsimile reproduction of the patent document or thepatent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Officepatent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rightswhatsoever. The following notice applies to the software and data asdescribed below and in the drawings that form a part of this document:Copyright 2018-2019 Michael A. THORNBROUGH, All Rights Reserved.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This patent application relates to air vents according to oneembodiment, and more specifically to air vents for shipping containerswith corrugated sides.

BACKGROUND

Many types of air vents are well-known in the prior art. For example,air vents for building structures with flat or smooth sides arewell-known. However, air vents configured for shipping containers withcorrugated sides are not known in the prior art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The various embodiments are illustrated by way of example, and not byway of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates an example embodiment of a 2″ Louver Vent forinstallation to the Outer Rib of the Corrugated Container Wall;

FIG. 2 illustrates an example embodiment of a 2″ Louver Vent forinstallation to the Inner Rib of the Corrugated Container Wall;

FIG. 3 illustrates an example embodiment of a 4″ Louver Vent forinstallation to the Door of a Container;

FIG. 4 illustrates an example embodiment of a Louver Vent forinstallation to the Outer Rib of the Container Wall and showing theCorrugated Container Wall;

FIG. 5 illustrates an example embodiment of a 20 Gauge galvanized coated2″ Louver blank;

FIG. 6 illustrates an example embodiment of a 20 Gauge perforatedaluminium 2″ Louver screen;

FIG. 7 illustrates a top view of an example embodiment of a 2″ Louverpanel and screen;

FIG. 8 illustrates an example embodiment of a 20 Gauge galvanized coated4″ Louver blank; and

FIG. 9 illustrates an example embodiment of a 20 Gauge perforatedaluminium 4″ Louver screen.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerousspecific details are set forth in order to provide a thoroughunderstanding of the various embodiments. It will be evident, however,to one of ordinary skill in the art that the various embodiments may bepracticed without these specific details.

In various example embodiments described herein, an air vent configuredfor shipping containers with corrugated sides is disclosed. The variousexample embodiments and methods for fabricating the disclosed air ventsare described in more detail below.

Referring to the figures included herewith, an air vent configured forshipping containers with corrugated sides is disclosed and explained inmore detail below.

Thousands of Shipping/Cargo Containers, used to ship goods from otherCountries to the US, via cargo ship are sold every year across theCountry to property owners and businesses to be used as storagecontainers. These containers are sealed very well to protect the cargofrom water, rodents, and other damaging elements while in transport atsea. While at sea, and while sitting at loading facilities, thesecontainers often are exposed to direct sunlight which can heat up theinside of the containers. Another concern is moisture build up insidethe container due to condensation. For these reasons containermanufacturers install very small vents to allow any pressure and/orfumes, which may build up inside the container, to escape the sealedenclosure. But these vents are not intended, nor do they allow,significant airflow through the container, when the container is beingused for storage, to keep the contents cool or dry. Cargo shipped inthese containers doesn't stay in the container very long unlike itemsplaced in a container for storage, which may stay in the container forseveral years. To protect the stored contents from excessive heat and/ormoisture damage the container must have significant venting to allow asteady airflow into and out of the container.

Some container suppliers offer modification services and will installsuch accessories as windows, doors, and vents to suit a purchaser'sneeds. All of these containers are constructed utilizing corrugatedmetal sides, backs, and roofs, for strength to allow these containers tobe stacked many high for transport on cargo ships. Consequently addingsuch things as windows, doors, and vents, isn't as simple as it would beon a flat surface. So custom mounting adaptors must be fabricated topermit the installation of flat objects, such as windows, doors, andvents, to the corrugations of the metal sides.

Many years ago I purchased a 40′ container, to be used on my propertyfor storage, from a company that offered the installation of vents,which I opted for. The installation basically consisted of a fabricatedflat metal frame, metal inserts to adapt to the corrugations, and a verycheap and thin aluminum louvered horizontal vent screwed to the frame.And a lot of caulking to seal the frame work to the container. RecentlyI purchased another 40′ Container but from a company that did not offermodifications so I figured I would simply install my own vents.

After extensive searches on the Internet I discovered that in the manyyears between my container purchases I couldn't find a single vent beingmanufactured and designed specifically for use on containers, that wouldflow a significant amount of air, and that was simple and effective toinstall on my container. And I also read many comments from othercontainer owners who were expressing the very same complaint. Thoughthere were several ideas and videos on how to install vents oncontainers every one of them were focused on installing wide horizontalvents with a variety of techniques to adapt to the corrugated siding,which were very difficult to install. I could only find one style ofvent, designed for installation on containers, available on the entireInternet. However this particular vent was simply a plastic copy of thevery same vent style that container manufacturers install on containersfor pressure relief, and do not allow for airflow through a Container.

After many hours, over several days, of research on the Internet andreading the many complaints about the lack of simple and effective ventsspecifically designed for containers I decided to simply build my own.After a lot of thought, and measuring I decided that the simplest andeasiest solution was to design a vertical vent utilizing theconfiguration of the corrugations instead of trying to adapt ahorizontal vent to the corrugations. Since such a vent would have to befabricated to conform exactly to standard container wall corrugations,and obviously must have louvers to keep rain out, I tried to find metalpanels with 2″ louvers but I could not find any such panels. So Iexplored the cost to purchase a 2″ louver punch and die set, and press,to perform the work. Realizing the very high cost of such equipment Idecided to manufacture these vents and sell them initially to offset thecost to install vents on my own container.

But then I came up with two different styles of the same vent design toaddress different uses for containers. One style fits over the outer ribof the corrugation so that if a container was packed to the walls, airwould still flow through the container by traveling up the unobstructedcorrugation on the inside of the container. But some of these containersare used for jobsite storage and for transport from one location toanother. This constant loading and unloading, as well as hazards atjobsites, could cause damage to the exposed vent louvers on the exteriorwall. So by simply bending the vent in the opposite direction the ventcould be installed on the inner corrugation on the outside walltherefore protecting the vent louvers from damage. And since jobsitestorage containers are typically not packed to the walls, air wouldstill flow through the container at the same rate. So I purchased theneeded equipment to fabricate the vents. After a lot of trial and errorI finally got the vents fabricated to fit exactly over the corrugations.

But then I realized that the doors of containers have flat areas toallow for attachment of the door latching mechanisms. I realized that Icould simply attach one of the vents, without bending it, directly tothe flat section up high on the doors therefore creating a larger highpoint in the container for heat to exhaust. I also realized that since Ididn't have to consider the width of the wall corrugations, whichlimited the size of the louvers to 2 inches, I could utilize 4 inchlouvers for the door vents and significantly increase the amount of airbeing exhausted from the container. So I have 3 styles of the same basicdesign of vent.

I also needed some sort of screen to keep out rodents, reptiles, bees,and bugs, and such a screen needed to be very strong. So I decided touse perforated metal, the same size as the vent. But I couldn't locateperforated sheet metal that had any sort of Galvanized coating toprevent rust. But I did locate perforated aluminum sheet, which won'trust. I needed very small holes to keep out the bugs but very smallholes would restrict the amount of airflow. Then I realized that if Ispaced the screen from the louvers, I would not lose any of the neededairflow that would pass through the louvers. So my design is to sandwichthe container wall with the louvers on the outside, and the screen onthe inside. This method allows for all of the air passing through thelouvers to also pass through the screen. An added benefit of this designis that it makes for a cleaner appearance on the inside of the Containerand also removes the safety hazard of having the sharp edges of the cuthole exposed.

These vents operate passively under the concept that warm air rises. So,for example, if you install one wall vent low on the wall, and anothervent high on the opposite wall, the warmer air will exhaust through thehigher vent while bringing in cooler air through the lower vent. Or, ifyou utilize a door vent mounted high on the door of the container, youwould install 2 wall vents down low on the opposite end of the containerresulting in more airflow through the container.

A huge benefit to the design of these vents is that no roof penetrationsare required to achieve excellent airflow through a container. I've seena few venting practices which actually penetrate the roof of thecontainer. Typically a wind turbine or solar-powered exhaust fan isutilized. However, container roofs are also constructed with corrugatedmetal so adapting wind turbines or exhaust fans to these corrugationscreates a very high probability of eventual water leaks through theroof.

All of my Vents are 6 inches wide by 12 inches high and constructed with20 gauge galvanized coated mild steel sheet metal. The screens are madewith 20 gauge perforated aluminum with 1/16 inch holes. The corners ofthe vents and screens are rounded with a ¾ inch radius. Each vent andscreen has 6 mounting holes, which vary in size depending on the styleof Vent. Mounting hardware consists of a stainless steel wide headPhillips screw, (#10-24), a #10 stainless steel extra-large washer, anda stainless steel 10-24 nylon locknut.

I conducted airflow tests on my vents to determine how many vents shouldbe installed on a container to achieve plenty of airflow through thecontainer. A 20′ standard container's volume is 1,280 cubic feet and a40′ container's volume is 2,560 cubic feet. I measured my 2″ louveredvents, with screens attached, spaced the thickness of a container wall,and I achieved up to 6,200 cubic feet per minute, which calculates up to2.4 air changes within a 40 foot container per minute, which isexcellent! And up to 4.8 air changes per minute on a 20 foot container!This is based on installing two wall vents on the container, one at thelowest point and one at the highest point. My door vent achieved 6,450cubic feet per minute. So, a Container owner has several combinationoptions utilizing my vent designs.

The figures included herewith show the front and back view of each styleof vent installed on a container. The figures also include detaileddrawings for each type of vent. In particular, FIG. 1 illustrates anexample embodiment of a 2″ Louver Vent for installation to the Outer Ribof the Corrugated Container Wall. FIG. 2 illustrates an exampleembodiment of a 2″ Louver Vent for installation to the Inner Rib of theCorrugated Container Wall. FIG. 3 illustrates an example embodiment of a4″ Louver Vent for installation to the Door of a Container. FIG. 4illustrates an example embodiment of a Louver Vent for installation tothe Outer Rib of the Container Wall and showing the Corrugated ContainerWall. FIG. 5 illustrates an example embodiment of a 20 Gauge galvanizedcoated 2″ Louver blank. FIG. 6 illustrates an example embodiment of a 20Gauge perforated aluminium 2″ Louver screen. FIG. 7 illustrates a topview of an example embodiment of a 2″ Louver panel and screen. FIG. 8illustrates an example embodiment of a 20 Gauge galvanized coated 4″Louver blank. FIG. 9 illustrates an example embodiment of a 20 Gaugeperforated aluminium 4″ Louver screen.

The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to allow the reader toquickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It issubmitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpretor limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in theforegoing Detailed Description, it can be seen that various features aregrouped together in a single embodiment for the purpose of streamliningthe disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted asreflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require morefeatures than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as thefollowing claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than allfeatures of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claimsare hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claimstanding on its own as a separate embodiment.

What is claimed is:
 1. An air vent configured for shipping containerswith corrugated surfaces, the air vent comprising: a flat panel having aplurality of louvers for the transfer of air through the flat panel; andat least two mounting flanges integrated with the flat panel, themounting flanges being angled to conform to an angle of a corrugatedsurface of a shipping container.
 2. The air vent as claimed in claim 1wherein the air vent is configured for installation to an outer rib ofthe corrugated surface of the shipping container.
 3. The air vent asclaimed in claim 1 wherein the air vent is configured for installationto an inner rib of the corrugated surface of the shipping container. 4.The air vent as claimed in claim 1 wherein the air vent is configuredfor installation to a door of the shipping container.
 5. The air vent asclaimed in claim 1 wherein the air vent is perforated.
 6. The air ventas claimed in claim 1 wherein the air vent is fabricated from galvanizedcoated mild steel sheet metal.
 7. The air vent as claimed in claim 1wherein the air vent is fabricated from perforated aluminum.
 8. The airvent as claimed in claim 1 wherein the air vent is attached to thecorrugated surface of the shipping container with screws.
 9. The airvent as claimed in claim 1 wherein the air vent includes at least ninelouvers on the flat panel.
 10. The air vent as claimed in claim 1wherein the air vent is at least six inches wide and at least twelveinches high.
 11. The air vent as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of theplurality of louvers is at least two inches wide.
 12. The air vent asclaimed in claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of louvers is at leastfour inches wide.
 13. The air vent as claimed in claim 1 wherein the airvent includes at least six mounting holes on the at least two mountingflanges.
 14. The air vent as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of thecorners of the air vent is rounded.
 15. The air vent as claimed in claim1 wherein the air vent with the plurality of louvers is attachedadjacent to a screen, wherein the corrugated surface of the shippingcontainer is sandwiched with the air vent with the plurality of louverson the outside of the shipping container and the screen on the inside ofthe shipping container.